American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka On Day Three of Fox’s Boycott Of 3 Million Cablevision Customers

PITTSBURGH,
October 18, 2010 - "With Fox's
boycott of 3 million Cablevision homes now in its third day, it's clear that
sitting on the sidelines is not an option for the government. Congress and the
Federal Communications Commission must intervene to protect consumers from
monopoly broadcasters bent on exploiting regulatory advantages that leave cable
consumers in the dark if their cable operators don't cave in to stations'
blackmail demands.

"Fox's ability to pull TV signals with
impunity stems from federal regulations that shield broadcasters from
competition through the grant of exclusive programming privileges and the right
to be seen in every cable home pursuant to antiquated buy-through obligations,
which serve to raise consumer prices by artificially inflating demand for
broadcast content.

"ACA commends the efforts of Sen. John
Kerry (D-Mass.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who have encouraged the FCC
to intervene further in the current dispute or have proposed retransmission
consent reform legislation to prevent this problem from ever happening again in
the future.

"ACA urges the FCC immediately to put
out for public comment the Petition for Rulemaking on Retransmission Consent
filed by members of the American Television Alliance (www.americantelevisionalliance.org),
including ACA.

"Otherwise, the effects of this broken
regulatory regime will continue to plague consumers throughout the U.S. and hit
hardest in rural communities served by small cable operators, who must pay far
more to access broadcast signals than do their larger pay-TV rivals vying for
subscribers in the same market. Retransmission consent reform won't be achieved
unless broadcasters' ability to hold consumers hostage -- like Fox is doing to 3
million Cablevision subscribers -- and engage in naked price discrimination has
been eradicated once and for all."

About the American Cable Association

Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade
organization representing nearly 900 smaller and medium-sized, independent
cable companies who provide broadband services for more than 7.6 million cable
subscribers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across
America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative
process in Washington, D.C., ACA's members work together to advance the
interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and
viability of their business. For more information, visit http://www.americancable.org/

Contact Us

Please use the information below to get in touch with the American Cable Association.